The Wraith of Blaze #1: Erika VS Cinder 
	Because some battles can't be won in Pokemon duels... 

  Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@IEATSPAMhotmail.com) 
  http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/pokemon/index.html 
  Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo. Proper licenses 
belong to respective properties and characters. 
  This file may be freely distributed so long as it appears 
in its complete form and proper credit is given. No part may 
be reproduced in part or whole for monetary/personal gain 
without permission from the author. 
  Fair question: who is Cinder? 

  Fanart may be found at: 
    http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html 

------------------------------------------------

  "So you've come for a badge, eh?" The girl's words slid off her 
tongue like acid, in an attempt to penetrate the cold-armor airs of 
the challenger. She shook her head. "You've the look of a newbie, but 
I must warn you, I don't play easy on ANYBODY!" 
  Dressed in the attire of a sorcerer, the psychic gym leader of 
Saffron City, called Sabrina, flexed her fingers out, then curled 
them into a fist. The challenger caught the slight glow in her palm, 
recognizing her incredible psychic power. 
  She was born an esper; that is, a human born with psychic powers. 
From the time of her birth Sabrina was able to bend spoons with her 
mind. That, a powerful telekinetic ability, along with a talent for 
reading minds, made her very powerful indeed. It was no surprise that 
she became the master of the psychic Pokemon gym, and few, if any, 
people could match her power-- material or mental (in actuality she 
was actually the founder of the Psychic gym; a while back she 
single-handedly defeated the old Saffron gym's leader and stripped 
away their gym status for her own gym). Until a while ago, Sabrina 
only communicated with her mind, and learning to speak again was a 
little difficult, as most people could not tell if she was happy or 
not. 
  Sabrina did not smile, in an attempt to intimidate the challenger 
with her presence. Once, smiling seemed unnatural for the gym leader, 
but she was learning to get used to it. However, her current 
expression, she found, seemed more natural. Though she hardly 
believed it would work, it was useful to know who she was challenging. 
"It is customary to know the name of my challenger, before I send 
him packing back home!" 
  Though she could have easily pulled that information from the 
challenger's mind, Sabrina preferred to let him think that. People in 
general were superstitious around espers, always afraid their minds 
could be taken apart from the inside by looking at them the wrong 
way. And, of course, the Saffron Gym was the largest, most visible, 
haven for espers-- pedestrians would go out of their way to avoid 
the building. What amused Sabrina the most was the fact that many 
non-psychics tried not to think 'bad thoughts.' Espers are effectively 
the unofficial thought police in that respect, though Sabrina hardly 
had any motivation to do mind-ripping. 
  She turned her attention back to the other occupant of the room. The 
challenger was draped with a heavy, dark robe-like cloak, concealing 
all traces of his body, appearing as a walking bed sheet to Sabrina. 
The sleeves of the challenger were long enough to fall to the knees, 
she guessed. It was obviously many sizes too large for the five-foot 
person. His cowl extended far over his head, forcing the gym leader 
to wonder how he could see. 
  If, in fact, the challenger WAS a he. 
  His right arm moved, fumbling for an unseen object. Sabrina gasped 
in surprise when the challenger produced it-- not because of the 
object, which was an ordinary Pokeball-- but for the fact that his 
arm was metallic. Glinting in the lights of the room, the stainless 
steel arm was shaped in a perfect cylinder, ending with a large hole 
at the end. From that hole jutted out four metallic, triangle-shaped 
fingers of the same material, each ending in a sharp nail. The 
Pokeball, the size of a baseball, looked puny in the challenger's 
hand. 
  Up until now, she found little reason to show any sort of 
respect toward the dorky-looking challenger. 
  "My name is Cinder," the challenger said, speaking for the first 
time. 
  His voice, Sabrina noted, possessed a harsh, metallic tone to 
it, almost, but not quite, like a robot; more accurately, synthesized. 
It was deep, and yet, she could detect a hint of anger, despite his 
monotonic tone. 
  One thing was for sure, the challenger was a he. 
  Cinder's head raised, the darkness of the cowl opening up to 
reveal a single, red spot, where the left eye should have been. 
Actually, it was much larger than a spot, Sabrina admitted to herself, 
as it appeared nearly as large as the Pokeball; it's probably a 
mechanical eye or scanner, as in the movies. 
  "Very few gym leaders have met my expectation," Cinder said. "Only 
one, Lt. Surge, gave a good enough struggle before I defeated 
him-- so far. I hope you will prove just as good, if not better." 
  So he came from Vermilion, Sabrina thought, filing that fact away 
in her mind. Typical, of would-be Pokemon League-certified trainers, 
to go after him first. Not that Surge was any good, of course; his 
specialty was in electric Pokemon-- quite powerful in their own right, 
but nothing compared to mighty psychic Pokemon. 
  "I'm sure you won't find me anything you expected," the gym leader 
replied confidently. She reached for a Pokeball chained to her belt, 
smiling to herself. "I hope you've got something worth fighting." 
  Cinder refused to take the bait, balancing his Pokeball in his 
four metallic fingers confidently. "Psychological tricks won't work 
on me, girl. Name your terms." 
  Very well, then, Sabrina thought. Newbie trainers often lost their 
tempers at the mere thought of their 'hard-trained' Pokemon being 
losers. Most usually put forth their best first, and such a wound to 
a trainer's pride made them less effective in directing battle-- and 
make more mistakes. Obviously, this man was no newbie. Good. 
  It has been too long since a real challenger arrived. 
  "I'll be daring today, and suggest a one-on-one," the gym leader 
said, naming her terms. "No switching; your first is your last." Which 
is exactly how it's going to be, she added silently. 
  In traditional Pokemon duels, it is usually the challenged to name 
the number of monsters, where it was up to the challenger to issue the 
call for battle in the first place. It was an unspoken rule-- a 
formality, even. However, since it was indeed a formality, novice or 
sneaky trainers often tried to break it by using more Pokemon than 
agreed upon. Of course, an experienced trainer facing that sort of 
situation would have no problem at all. 
  One-on-one battles proved to be the most interesting, as both 
trainers proved their true skill by directing a single Pokemon for the 
entire duel. Only the best Pokemon trainers could win entire matches 
with a single Pokemon, but a one-on-one made sure both trainers 
involved in the battle would do their best. Sabrina knew she was good. 
The challenger, Cinder, would have his work cut out for him. 
  Cinder nodded slowly. "Then let it begin." 
  Winding up, Sabrina threw her Pokeball. "Alakazam, GO!!" 
  Normally, the gym leader would not be so bold as to use her best 
Pokemon in a gym battle, but Cinder's aura was strange and foreign to 
Sabrina. The man had surprised her once already; no more surprises. 
  Alakazam materialized from his Pokeball before Sabrina. A creature 
resembling a man crossed with a fox, Alakazam gripped two spoons in 
his hands, something that would have appeared quite comical if not 
for the fact that the Pokemon was incredibly powerful. It is said 
that Alakazam was super-intelligent, but Sabrina never talked to it 
long enough to find out. 
  Without winding up, Cinder merely tossed his Pokeball forth. "I am 
surprised. Surprised that you would be so cowardly, actually." 
  When the monster materialized out of the Pokeball, Sabrina stifled 
the urge to burst out in laughter. Venomoth, a poison Pokemon, 
is weak to psychic powers. 
  Venomoth, not surprisingly, resembled a giant moth, primarily 
silver-white in color, with large, round eyes. He fluttered in the 
air cautiously, dropping dust all the while in small sprinkles-- the 
basis for one of Venomoth's most deadly attacks. Though Venomoth is 
both a bug and poison Pokemon, any trainer worth their salt knew 
that the monster also wielded fantastic psychic powers. 
  Sabrina considered such a creature a mockery to true psychics, and 
smiled to herself, knowing she would savor this battle. 
  I've never had this kind of chance since Koga, she thought to 
herself, being that only a fool like the wanna-be ninja gym leader 
would dare use a Venomoth against psychic Pokemon. 
  "If this is your best," Sabrina taunted back, "then you'd better 
clear out and forget you walked in!" 
  Cinder chuckled lowly, a sound Sabrina found quite chilling. "He 
isn't 'my' best, but he certainly wants to beat you." 
  That's certainly an odd reason, the gym leader admitted. Still, why 
the emphasis on 'my?' 
  Alakazam, commanded Sabrina with her mind, Psywave! 
  Holding his spoons close to his head, Alakazam summoned up the 
necessary psionic force to carry out his trainer's command, then 
emmitted a wide wave beam on his flying nemesis. Venomoth tried to 
dodge quickly, but the wavefront caught up with him. The poison Pokemon 
struggled to maintain his flight as the psionic assault caved-in his 
mind. 
  Sabrina smiled smugly, eyes focusing on her opponent, who had not 
moved to issue a command. "It's over." 
  Cinder folded his arms-- his other arm was metallic as well. "For 
you." 
  Focusing her attention back on the battle, Sabrina gasped when she 
saw that Venomoth was still in the air-- but no, there was another! A 
second Venomoth somehow appeared behind the first! The first Venomoth 
shattered into a million pieces, leaving a perfectly-healthy opponent 
ready to retaliate. 
  That's impossible! Sabrina cried out with her mind. Why couldn't I 
detect his cheating trick?! 
  A set of spores burst forth like a cloud, fanned out by Venomoth's 
beating wings, and while the gym leader had enough sense to pinch her 
nose, Alakazam could not respond in time to stop the sleep powder. 
  The dust cloud, however, hardly seemed to affect Cinder. 
  The challenger laughed coldly. "Venomoth may be weak to psychic 
attacks, but his determination and tenacity are unmatched!" 
  Sabrina watched in shocked horror, as in the next few moments, with 
her own Pokemon asleep with non-psychic sleep, as Venomoth attacked 
relentlessly with his own Psybeam. While it was not commonly done, 
psionics could harm other psychics very badly. She wanted to bring 
Alakazam back, but knew she had to follow her terms. 
  How did Venomoth survive the attack? she wondered. Alakazam was 
quite powerful... but could it be that Venomoth was stronger still? 
  And yet, the challenger never issued a single command to Venomoth. 
Could it be, that Venomoth was acting on his own? Could he have 
raised a defense with his false-psychic mind?! 
  Impossible! 
  When the sleep powder cloud dissipated, Sabrina allowed herself to 
take a deep breath. "Fine," she said, "you win." 
  Before Cinder could react, Sabrina launched a psionic attack of 
her own, sending a great eagle, talons ready to claw at the 
challenger's mind. But, surprisingly, the eagle's talons grasped at 
a solid wall! 
  "You are young and foolish, esper," Cinder said aloud. "I, too, 
have my defenses. Your anger, young prodigal, requires control. And 
yet, this is the same response I got from all my other trophies." 
  "Trophies?!" Sabrina echoed, allowing the eagle to dissipate. 
  "Venomoth, Sleep Powder!" ordered Cinder. 
  Without hesitating, Venomoth complied with his first command, 
fanning out another cloud of his grass attack. Sabrina, unprepared 
for the sudden attack, accidentally inhaled the powder. Feeling the 
effects, a new realization dawned upon the gym leader. 
  "You're... the kidnapper...." she said groggily, collapsing to 
the floor. 
  Cinder stepped up to Sabrina's collapsed body, producing yet 
another Pokeball-- only this one was colored yellow and black, in 
stripes. Throwing the Pokeball on the defeated gym leader, it 
opened up, and dematerialized the girl, as if she herself was a 
Pokemon. Quickly, Cinder scooped up the Pokeball, and hid it back in 
his sleeves. 
  Turning to Venomoth, he said, "Excellent work, my friend. Your 
journey with me is at an end. Koga never realized your true potential, 
but I did." 
  Venomoth chirped a reply. 
  "No, you ARE free to go," insisted Cinder. When Venomoth continued 
to protest, the cloaked man sighed, producing a Pokeball. "Very well, 
then... but only because you asked." 
  A tight beam emanated from the Pokeball, zapping and dematerializing 
Venomoth. 
  Though poison Pokemon are weak to psychic attacks, it did help to 
prepare Venomoth properly for the battle. Technical machines were 
hard to come by, but you never knew when they came in handy. How 
fortunate that Venomoth acted in time, otherwise all would have been 
for naught. 
  Cinder turned his attention back to the fallen Alakazam, still 
asleep from the sleep powder of Venomoth's. Waving a steel hand over 
the Pokemon, he willed the Pokemon to wake with his own mind. 
  Alakazam regarded Cinder carefully. Where is Sabrina? he asked 
mentally. 
  She is no more, Cinder replied. You, my friend, are free. 
  So you're the one that's traveling around, liberating Pokemon, 
Alakazam guessed. I've heard of you, and I never dreamed such a man 
existed. 
  The girl, Sabrina... did she ever appreciate you as a person, or as 
a tool?  
  Don't make me laugh. You know how it is. 
  Well, then... I have other business to attend to. 
  This is your way of asking me to join you. 
  Cinder laughed aloud. You're smarter than they say you are. 
  The city will never accept a Pokemon as a gym leader, if they ever 
found out, reasoned Alakazam. Still, it isn't ethical to remove her 
like that, when there are so many other promising trainers out there. 
If I remain here, under her guise, perhaps I can make things better 
for others. 
  The cloaked man seemed to consider this. A noble cause, he praised. 
Extending a hand, Cinder added, Success in your venture. 
  Accepting the handshake, Alakazam said, In your journey, as well. 
  Cinder turned to leave, but the Pokemon called, Where are you 
going now? 
  Without turning around, Cinder replied, I hear of another gym 
nearby... in Celadon City, there is another gym leader, an even 
younger girl named Erika. Hopefully, she will prove to be a better 
challenge than this one. 
  With grass Pokemon, a challenge is hardly what you will find, 
Alakazam said quietly. 

  There is a legend, circulating among Pokemon, of a man, cloaked in 
shadow, traveling the world, liberating them from their trainers. 
Wild Pokemon who shunt the harsh life of training applauded this 
man, while those who were content with their lots in life refused to 
speak of it. 
  Only recently, a man matching that very description appeared in the 
spotlight, a suspect in a string of kidnappings of Pokemon gym 
leaders. Starting with the disappearance of Cinnabar Island's gym 
leader, Blaine, the kidnapper then proceeded to kidnap Koga, and 
then Lt. Surge. The police lost the trail at Saffron City, where 
the kidnapper appeared to have disappeared, and the gym leader 
apparently unharmed. 
  And yet, somehow, Erika knew the kidnapper was much cleverer 
than that, and Saffron City's gym leader had been taken as well. 
  Well, at least, Gloom seemed to think so. Pokemon seem to have 
some sort of communications network of their own, of sorts, Erika 
thought. 
  The gym of Celadon City, largest city in the area, was like no 
other gym in the fact that it was styled after the famous Japanese 
gardens-- one would walk in the door to find perfect serenity in 
nature. Erika, dressed in a loose blue kimono, sat at the edge of a 
small pond, studying herself in the calm waters. She could hear Gloom 
somewhere in the garden, probably snoring, from the sound of it. 
  She laughed in surprise as Tangela brushed against her legs. The 
grass Pokemon appeared almost as a tumbleweed with eyes and legs, and 
though he was generally regarded as a silly creature, Erika knew 
better. She stroked Tangela's body lovingly, as others would do for 
a dog or cat pet. 
  "What do you want, silly?" Erika asked the Pokemon, even though 
she knew Tangela couldn't answer in words. 
  Unlike Gloom, Erika never could figure out what Tangela was trying 
to convey in any of his 'communications.' Trainer legend had it that 
a trainer and Pokemon who have been together long enough can 'talk' 
to each other-- or, at least, understand one another. While it was 
this she shared with Tangela, Erika held a stronger bond with Gloom. 
  While most trainers would willingly have taken the job as gym 
leader, Erika found the job itself difficult, having to send her 
Pokemon into battle all the time against would-be Pokemon League 
members. Sure, they won most of the time, but they also lost, too, 
and even got hurt badly. It was something that pained Erika a lot, 
but she knew it had to be done. 
  It seemed only yesterday, Erika recalled, that she herself was a 
fledgling trainer. She, too, challenged the gym leaders for the 
Pokemon League, and she came out one their number. And she never 
hesitated to accept the new opening at the Celadon City gym, when the 
old gym leader, Kobayashi, was kicked out of the League for some kind 
of illegal practicing (rumor has it that he was selling badges, but 
only the League 'Heads knew for sure). Erika had no desire to travel 
anymore, or to put her beloved Pokemon in any more danger than 
possible. And yet, becoming gym leader allowed her to teach younger 
trainers as well. 
  "Not even fifteen, and I've everything I want, right?" Erika 
whispered to Tangela. 
  Tangela crooned in response. Probably a 'yes.' 
  She was tinkering with thoughts of scents in her mind when Erika 
felt another... behind her. Paying heed to her sixth sense, she 
looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting dark robes. 
  And it took her only a second to realize who it was. 
  "You're the kidnapper," Erika said, keeping her voice level. 
  "You catch on quick," replied the robed man. "Am I that obvious?" 
  "There aren't many who'd be dumb enough to walk around like that." 
  "I am called Cinder." 
  "Cinder, is it?" The gym leader stood to her feet, Tangela 
forgotten. "You're disturbing the balance of the garden." 
  "Interesting, you are, little girl," Cinder said. "You truly are 
in harmony with nature." 
  "I've found my inner peace, but you have not." 
  "Obviously not. You know why I came." 
  Erika nodded. "You could at least tell me why." 
  Cinder's metallic voice laughed. He focused his red eye lens on 
Erika intently. "You have no idea.... But, a match." 
  Sighting deeply, Erika stared back at Tangela, then at Cinder. 
"Why don't you just get it over with? Why beat around the bush?" 
  "What?" Cinder asked. "You have no confidence in your monster?" 
  The gym leader shook her head. "It's not that," she insisted, "but 
if you're going to kidnap me anyway, you might as well take me." 
  Cinder shook his head under his cowl. "Stubborn girl. Would you 
have me stain my honor by beating someone without a fight? I chose to 
fight you for a reason." 
  Those words caught Erika by surprise. "I thought you were the 
kidnapper." 
  "I AM," replied the cloaked man. "I follow my own set of rules. 
You're the one I chose to challenge. Don't insult me by refusing." 
  He's playing off my ancestry, she thought immediately. He's... good. 
  The girl raised a finger. "You're the strangest kidnapper I've 
ever heard of." 
  "You're Japanese," Cinder pointed out, "so you know how honor 
works. Do the right thing, and accept my challenge." 
  "If I win, what happens?" 
  He shrugged. "That hasn't happened yet. I always win." 
  Erika sighed. "You're one of those people who don't know how to say 
'no,' I guess." She motioned to Tangela, saying, "Tangela, you want 
to try this one?" 
  Tangela accepted, bounding eagerly at Erika's feet. 
  "If," offered the cloaked man, "for some odd chance that you defeat 
me, then perhaps I'll surrender my charges to you." 
  Cinder reached for his own Pokeball, sliding it carefully into 
his metallic fingers, disappointed that Erika wasn't shocked at 
the sight of his steel arm. Obviously, he thought, she was prepared 
for something unnatural. Go figure for the tree-hugger. 
  Dropping the Pokeball, Cinder cried, "Scorpin, emerge!" 
  Materializing from the Pokeball was a horse-sized monster, of the 
likes Erika had never seen. The creature, true to its name, 
resembled a giant scorpion, except, where the pincers should have 
been, there was a set of scissor-like steel sheers, rivaling that 
of its master. The new Pokemon's tail ended in a single, metallic 
edge, something that belonged to a spear, Erika thought. The monster's 
head, however, was concealed under a skull helmet, in a style similar 
to that of Cubone and Marowak, but the skull appeared quite 
reptilian in form. 
  "Pokemon League number Six-Nine-Three," the cloaked man explained. 
"Not found in this country natively, of course, and only its initial 
form." 
  Erika stepped back, awed by Scorpin. She passed a worried look to 
Tangela; the Pokemon seemed to pick up these fears, and his 
confidence faltered a bit, but not enough to get the tumbleweed 
Pokemon to back down. 
  "Tangela," she said, thrusting all the confidence she could into 
her voice, "Bind...!" 
  Aware that he was facing an uphill battle, Tangela nevertheless 
bounded into battle, his whip-like vines lashing out at the new 
Pokemon. Though the attempt was to be applauded, the vines were not 
long enough to encircle Scorpin twice, lessening the effectiveness 
of a Bind attack. 
  Scorpin reared his tail back, preparing to strike. Tangela dodged 
out of the way in time, the spearhead tail stinger smashing into the 
ground in front of the monster. 
  "Careful, Tangela!" cried Erika, ignoring her own worry over the 
garden. 
  Cinder snorted, which sounded more like a clogged faucet rather 
than a snort. 
  The challenger's monster's eyes watched the darting Tangela, 
carefully considering his options. Before he could come to a decision, 
Tangela's vines constricted Scorpin, but Scorpin barely felt the 
binding attack's constriction, being how the monster's armored hide 
absorbed most of the damage. 
  Although Bind hardly affected Scorpin, it did prevent the monster 
from retaliating against the tumbleweed Pokemon. 
  Tangela, realizing he was outmatched, released Scorpin, dodging the 
angry opponent's metal claws, swung like a hammer. Scorpin dug his 
four insectoid legs into the ground, preparing for another strike. 
  "Try Sleep Powder!" Erika shouted in encouragement. 
  Before Tangela could comply, Scorpin batted the grass Pokemon with 
one closed claw, sending the tumbleweed creature flying across the 
garden. The gym leader screamed in shock as Scorpin slowly turned 
toward his downed opponent, claws raised to strike. 
  "What's the matter?" Cinder asked. "Your Pokemon not strong enough 
to deal with a worthy foe?" 
  Erika paid Cinder no heed, running to where Tangela had landed. 
Scooping up the injured Pokemon in her arms, the gym leader tried to 
force her tears back. 
  "You're not being fair!" she cried, though she knew the words 
hardly meant a thing. 
  Cinder shrugged. "Your problem is you worry far too much over 
your monsters for them to be effective. Why did they allow such a 
weak girl to take this job?" 
  "YOUR problem is you're a monster, just like that... Scorpin!" 
Erika shouted back. 
  Her words seemed to hit home, as the confidence in Cinder seemed 
to lower as he stepped back. Scorpin looked toward his master in 
confusion, looking for directions he didn't need. 
  "Do you like hurting other people?" Erika asked, stepping closer 
to the cloaked man in anger. "Do you LIKE seeing Tangela beaten up 
like a rag doll?!" 
  Words seemed to escape Cinder. He found he could only say, "I am 
not a monster." 
  "If you hurt my friends, you are!" Erika said. "The difference 
between you and other trainers is that you don't care!" 
  "Why don't you ask Tangela about that?" suggested the cloaked man. 
"He should be able to correct you on that! And let me tell you one 
thing, girl-- trainers are SLAVE DRIVERS." 
  The gym leader winced, catching the full implication of the last 
two words. 
  "Tangela thinks you mean well, and that you do care," Cinder said, 
"but you've still got a lot to learn." 
  Erika stared down at Tangela in surprise, then at Cinder. "H...how 
do you know what he's saying?!" 
  "I thought it was obvious," replied the cloaked man. "You don't 
seem to understand him as much as Gloom is all." 
  The gym leader shook her head in shock. "Who told you that?!" 
  Cinder quietly pointed at Tangela. 
  Silently, Erika ran her fingers through Tangela's vines. "I'm 
sorry...." she whispered. 
  "You're a strange one, girl," Cinder said. "Tangela just asked me 
to leave you alone. It's rare... I've never met many Pokemon who care 
for their trainers so." 
  Quietly, Cinder recalled Scorpin. He continued, "You know 
something... Erika? I'm really, really, not a monster." 
  Erika shook her head. "How can you say that, after you kidnapped 
the other gym leaders?" 
  "I'm not doing this because I like it," stammered Cinder. "I'm 
doing this because the Pokemon demand it of me." 
  "What's that supposed to mean?" 
  "I mean, I'm traveling to free all Pokemon from enslavement." 
  She stared at Tangela for a moment. "Does Tangela look enslaved to 
you?" 
  Sighing, Cinder grudgingly admitted, "No." 
  "You're justifying yourself," Erika accused, "by saying you are on 
some kind of holy crusade, so you can legitimize your crimes!" 
  "From a certain point of view, that may be true. You wouldn't 
understand." 
  "MAKE me understand!" dared the gym leader. "You have no right to 
stomp right into my garden and do this!" 
  The intensity of the girl's voice seemed to drive a wedge into 
Cinder's soul, and for many tense moments the cloaked man simply 
stood there, unable to shake the feeling pounding against him. The 
pounding reverbrated in his head, forcing Cinder to clutch at his 
mechanical eye. Satisfied that it was still there, he immediately 
began to relax himself, realizing he had been breathing heavily. 
  "You okay?" wondered the gym leader. 
  "You are the first one to ask for my tale, young one," Cinder 
said, forcing himself back into his usual composure. The cloaked man 
hated being weak, and certainly didn't want to appear weak to a little 
girl. 
  He turned to seat himself at the side of the pond, where Erika had 
been only minutes before. He gestured for her to sit next to her, and 
the gym leader reluctantly complied. 
  "I'm listening," Erika said. 
  Cinder took in a deep breath, a sound similar to that made by a 
vacuum cleaner sucking in. Erika winced at the annoying sound, 
silently hoping he won't do it again. 
  "As you can see," he said, raising an arm into the air, allowing 
the light to play off the steel, "not only was I born, but I was 
MADE." 
  The gym leader nodded slowly. 
  "My life before my rebirth is inconsequential, so I will begin 
there...." 

			*  *  *  *  *

  I remember little of my past life, actually, but what I do remember 
clearly is the event that brought about my rebirth: I was challenged 
by a particularly sadistic Pokemon trainer and his Rhyhorn. The 
problem was, I had no Pokemon of my own. However, being sadistic, 
this trainer needed something to beat up, so he unleashed the 
hundreds-of-pounds Rhyhorn on me. Of course, there was very little I 
could do to prevent being trampled to death. Leaving my body quite 
broken, the trainer and his monster left, laughing, satisfied that 
'his' work was done. 
  That creature... I can still hear it stomping on me.... 
  Eventually, a sympathetic soul found me... I have no idea where, 
though, or how he found me. I remember having no money afford the 
hospital (not to mention getting mended), and my rescuer had no money, 
either. And then, it happened that my rescuer took me to a place that 
would take away my old life forever. 
  I knew this place well, you see. Being a resident of Cinnabar 
Island, one couldn't help BUT know what that place was. Some people 
liked to call it the Pokemon Mansion, but those who knew what it 
really was knew better-- it was a lab, run by scientists obsessed with 
Pokemon. It was the last place I wanted to go, but also the only place 
I could get help. After I found out where I was destined to go, I 
really wish I'd died. 
  It didn't help that my rescuer was a scientist, too. 
  Though the scientists found me an unusual 'patient,' they 
nevertheless found a use for me-- other than healing me back to 
health, that is. One particular scientist wished to perform experiments 
on my body-- replacing body parts with metal ones. How could I refuse? 
I was the one lying broken on the table, and I had no voice in the 
matter, because I lost that, too. 
  It was incredibly painful, that stomping.... 
  Most of the time, the scientists kept me knocked-out, but I knew 
they were doing their work on me-- though I could barely feel my 
arms and legs before, I knew when they were removed. I DEFINITELY knew 
when they replaced my crushed eye; it took quite a while to look at 
the world with normal, then red, vision. For quite a while I had to 
get used to reading off the numbers and statistics that came up in 
the mechanical eye... that is, whenever I had the chance to remain 
conscious. 
  My back seemed to get heavier, even though they hardly allowed me to 
stand from my position lying on the operating table. Though my arm 
movement was restricted to the table, I could move it enough to note 
that there was some type of shielded hose running from my arm to my 
back-- the purpose which I would not discover until later. 
  The constant feeling I felt was numbness. Though I could still hear 
the echoes of my rebirth in my mind, my body felt quite dead. You 
should understand the feeling of your limbs 'going to sleep;' that is 
the feeling I had all over, yes. And, though my body was numb, I 
still felt the pain of the unnatural implants on me. I'm sure the 
mechanical eye alone made for some serious rashness, and it would have 
irritated me immensely had they allowed me to experience it in full. 
The drugs never seemed to wear off. 
  I have no idea how many experiments they did on me-- I was knocked 
out most of the time-- before one of the 'experiments' escaped. I was 
there, the night it happened, when one of the specimens broke out of 
its bonds. At the time, I was restrained to an operating table, 
awaiting yet another experiment, but the monster's wrath brought me 
out of unconsciousness quickly. You see, it's hard to ignore a 
psychic field so large.... 
  That was the first time I was made aware of my psionics, actually. 
  The monster was screaming mentally, probably disturbing everybody in 
the building. The idea that it was angry was no surprise, but it was 
also making every other Pokemon in the building angry as well. I was 
getting quite angry, myself. 
  The only word I remember clearly was... 'REVENGE!' 
  Feeling the surge of anger wash over me, I couldn't help myself. 
The monster was CALLING me! 
  The scientists made me well... perhaps too well. Despite all the 
tranquilizers and drugs in my system, I easily broke out of my 
restraints, bursting off the table with a life I had never known 
before. Gears cranked in my limbs, an unusual feeling, but my 
newfound psychic force helped compensate for that, making it seem 
almost natural.... 
  Now that I mentioned it, I vaguely remember one of the scientists 
owning a Kadabra, who willingly performed psychic surgery on me. I 
barely remember that Kadabra, probably because he wiped me after the 
operation. If I could meet that creature, I would thank it brutally. 
  I also found that I was a little taller than before, probably due 
to my new set of legs, giving me a few more centimeters to work with. 
  Stretching myself with my unnatural arms, I immediately turned my 
attention back to the operating table... and gave it my thanks for 
serving as my home. It seemed that I was stronger than I anticipated, 
for the table split in half when I pounded it... a pounding.... 
  I found the door quickly, running one arm straight through it as if 
it were paper. With little effort I threw the ruined door aside-- so 
much for security-- and stomped my way into the hallway. 
  A stomp that echoed the one of my rebirth. 
  Only anger fueled me then.... I paid little heed to how many 
scientists I trampled, only that I must get revenge! One bold man 
stood in my way in the hallway, holding up a lead pipe, hoping it was 
enough to take care of me. Well, I threw my arms forth, and jetted a 
fan of flames on him. 
  I knew there was a use for the hoses connected to my arms, and this 
was it. 
  Flames danced on the man's lab coat enticingly, but I was too busy 
in my rage to acknowledge it. The scientist burned alive before my 
eyes in a few quick moments-- the blaze must have been quite intense, 
for I could barely feel it myself, but the man seemed to. He was 
screaming for help, of course, but I couldn't hear him-- not in my 
rage, not in my summons. 
  Stepping over the charred man, I pushed my way through, crushing 
everything in my path, until one of the doors down the hallway burst 
open with the same fury as my own. I felt a sudden chill in the 
psychic winds... one so agonizing, so filled with hatred, that made 
my own pale in comparison. It turned out to be the very creature that 
stirred all of us into action in the first place. 
  With catlike motion, the monster, a white humanoid being, stepped 
out into the hallway, and peered at me with cold, predatorial eyes. 
The new monster had obviously been doing redecorative work for quite 
some time, because I didn't remember the psycic signature being so 
close before. 
  Though I'm sure I had more than enough power to take on the strange 
monster, its gaze was more than enough to stop me from trying. 
  Eyes narrowing in contempt, the monster took off down the hallway, 
away from my position, probably wanting to escape just as much as I 
wanted to. But, the chilling gaze served to undo my animalistic 
instinct... reason returned, and I knew there was something to do 
before I left: I needed to help the other captives. 
  I vaguely recognized the area I was in being the lab section of the 
mansion... where all the 'experiments' were kept. I fired off flames 
at the nearest door, melting the locks. Realizing that action was 
counterproductive, I punched my fist through, just as before. 
  Held tight in a stasis chamber was a large, shelled Pokemon, of the 
likes which I never saw before. Resembling a sort of chambered 
nautilus with a row of spikes running around its shell, I later 
learned that it was called 'Omastar' in the Pokemon League Index. 
Needless to say, I freed the creature, but it was not so happy to see 
me, as it was still under the psychic call. 
  Taking leave of that chamber, I made my way to the next room-- which 
turned out to be the research area for a Silph, Co. engineer. I grabbed 
a set of experimental Pokeballs... colored in the universal 'hazard' 
of black and yellow stripes. I had no idea why I took them in the 
first place, but they have proven quite useful weapons. 
  It was then that I sensed the white monster about to unleash its 
wrath upon the mansion, and I knew I had to leave quickly. Stepping 
out of the Silph lab, the Omastar I freed earlier was there in the 
hallway, looking a bit confused, and perhaps was a bit upset. He, too, 
felt the psychic energies of the white monster preparing to unleash 
its wrath, and wanted desperately to escape. 
  Grabbing Omastar with both metal claws, I ran as fast as I could, 
desperately looking for the exit before the grand finale came. Losing 
patience, and with an angry Pokemon in my arms, I made my own exit... 
and leaped from the second story to the ground below. 
  I had little time to get away from the building when the flames 
burst from all the windows. By this time Omastar had long since 
broken free of my grasp, and was heading straight for the sea, as by 
instinct. Yet, while that Pokemon preferred the water... the flames 
of the mansion seemed fascinating to me... perhaps an echo of my 
past existence. The fire was enticing, but I knew I could not stay. 
  Either way, I knew that the white monster escaped as well. 
  The authorities wrote off the disaster as an accident, probably to 
hide the fact that the scientists were constructing illegal weapons. 
And, of course, I was one of those weapons. 
  In the days afterward I hid myself, knowing very well what I 
looked like, and I eventually stole a heavy traveling robe one night, 
so I may travel freely in daylight. Slowly, I reintegrated myself 
back into society, but obviously, I didn't fit in. In fact, there 
was nothing of worth on me except the experimental Pokeballs I took 
from the lab. Ten in total... and I didn't feel like making a 
career as a Pokemon trainer, not after the mansion. 
  Oh, yes. The police eventually DID notice I was wearing stolen 
merchandise, but I... convinced them I was more trouble than I was 
worth. Don't worry, I didn't do anything to damage them... 
permanently. After that they just left me alone. 
  Without having something to do with myself, I took to wandering 
the island. Being that it was an island, there were very few places 
to travel to. The people of the island always parted when I came 
by, always afraid to say something in my presence, though I heard 
them.... It did little to help that I became known as a wraith, a 
legend along with the ghost monster who haunts the seashore at night. 
Eventually, they learned that if they wanted me to stay away, they 
gave me 'offerings' of food whenever I was in town. 
  That was due to the fact that the restaurants were too afraid to 
serve me, and, since I got hungry, and was without money, I had to 
steal the food. Just giving it to me made things a whole lot easier 
for everybody; I was not a pleasant burglar. 
  Inevitably, Pokemon trainers challenged me, wishing to make names 
for themselves by defeating the cloaked bully. And, of course, 
as with the police before them, I made them stay away. Of course, 
most of the time it was young upstarts, but any worth their salt knew 
to stay away. 
  And then, nearly three weeks since the mansion's destruction, I 
was walking along the beach shore when I spied a Pokemon trainer 
fighting a wild Pokemon-- it turned out to be Omastar that I freed 
earlier. Omastar was in obvious agitation, and terribly weak due to 
hunger (that was due to the fact that Omastar's shell was so heavy 
that he had a hard time catching prey; according to the League Index 
that fact was the reason Omastar died out long ago). 
  Feeling strangely drawn to the troubled Omastar, I stepped in 
like a specter, between the trainer's monster, Ivysaur, and Omastar. 
  "Hey!" he said, "what'd you think you're doing?!" 
  "This one is not for you," I told him. 
  "I found that Pokemon first!" protested the trainer, obviously not 
intimidated by my voice. "He's mine!" 
  Within the folds of my robes I balled my fingers into fists, but 
the trainer could not see them. He could not detect any sort of 
anger, and, perhaps, was too stupid to realize I was not normal. 
All he wanted was Omastar. 
  "Omastar's freedom is not yours to take away!" I yelled, backed 
by the full fury of my terrible anger. 
  That seemed to wake the trainer, stunning him momentarily, but only 
for that long. He replied by yelling, "Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" 
  Two vines emerged from the grass Pokemon's planted back, lashing 
out at me. Before either vine could touch me, however, I reached out 
and snagged them both with my bare steel hands. 
  "You seem smart," I lied, "so I'll give you this one chance to 
leave. NOW." 
  Obviously, appealing to his better nature didn't work, for the 
trainer was deluded into believing he could beat me. Perhaps he was 
too excited... or drunk with stupidity... with finding a rare 
Pokemon alone on the beach. Either that or his parents shouldn't 
have mated. 
  While I held Ivysaur's vines, the trainer threw out another 
Pokeball, releasing Staryu, the starfish Pokemon. Tossing Ivysaur 
in the general direction of the sea, I parried Staryu's Tackle 
attack. I even allowed Staryu to Minimize itself... just so I could 
grab it with one hand. 
  Holding Staryu in one metal claw and grabbing the trainer's arm 
with the other, I told him, "Believing you could defeat me was your 
first mistake; your second was attacking my friend here." Without 
ceremony, I tossed him and Staryu out to join Ivysaur. 
  When I said Omastar was my friend... I didn't know at the time I 
meant it, but Omastar was obviously very pleased and grateful. In 
fact, he latched on to me, following me as if I WAS his friend. In 
pity, I took Omastar back to town with me, and fed him a share of 
the evening's 'offerings,' just to get him back to health again... to 
be free. 
  But, what I soon realized was that Omastar was my solitary 
companion-- not only because he was an outcast amidst other Pokemon, 
but because he, too, was a victim of the Pokemon Mansion. Though I 
did not fancy becoming a trainer myself, Omastar became... 'my' first 
Pokemon partner. 
  I say 'my' because I hardly considered him mine. In fact, I still 
consider him more a friend than a possession; perhaps you'd like to 
meet him? 
  Anyway, with my first partner, I eventually earned money from 
waging battles with other Pokemon trainers... and though I no longer 
required the daily 'offerings,' I accepted them nonetheless, if only 
to keep the neighbors happy. I kept Omastar well fed, as by this time 
I figured out why he was so weak when I found him before. And, in 
turn, Omastar proved himself a very capable fighter, using Spike 
Cannon and Hydro Pump to overwhelm fledgling trainers... and even 
veteran trainers as well. I even saved up enough money to buy the 
technical machine to teach him Horn Drill, in order to make Omastar 
even more powerful. 
  Days had not passed when I realized that I should carry around 
Omastar in a Pokeball. While Omastar was dubious about the idea, I 
convinced him of the better qualities of it, though I hardly had any 
idea what it was like being in one. I tried using the ones I'd taken 
from the mansion, but for some reason the balls failed to do their 
job. Eventually, I bought a Pokeball, the best I could buy, for my 
friend, and a few more with my spare change, just in case. Since 
then, Omastar hasn't objected... much. He never tells me what it's 
like to be in one, and I hardly envy him. 
  While Omastar and I got along well together, I could not help but 
feel disturbed by the other trainers; where I saw myself and Omastar 
as partners, most trainers regarded their Pokemon as merely 
monsters-- tools for use in battles, and prove who's the better 
trainer. Pokemon were discarded and traded like goods, the value 
placed on rarity, appearance, or special attacks... even types! 
Instead of proving their own strengths, they choose to prove 
how much better their monster is-- a new schtick of sorts. I had no 
such ambition; getting along with my life worked well enough, but the 
thought nagged at my mind. 
  The time came when I needed to leave the island... to go soul- 
searching, so to speak. I tried to persuade Omastar to stay behind, 
but he was too afraid to be without me, so I reluctantly allowed him 
to come along. I left Cinnabar Island, and I wouldn't see it again 
until almost two years later, when I concluded a world tour. 
  I traveled far and wide, to places reputed to be where the wisemen 
of yore pondered-- from Japan to Egypt, to Scotland, to Alaska... and 
many places in-between, all the while sustaining myself with the 
occasional Pokemon battle with big money stakes. I won many, I lost 
a few, and I found new friends; you've met Scorpin, who I met in 
Egypt. Along the way, I also met Scyther, Dratini, and Kingler, who 
evolved along the way, after our first encounter in Maine. 
  When I returned to Cinnabar Island, I was a changed man. I met many 
Pokemon trainers all across the world, traveled to the World Pokemon 
League Headquarters, and saw, perhaps, too much. Very few trainers 
I've met in my travels, Pokemon League included (particularly one of 
the local heads, Lance, who was at the World HQ when I visited on 
business, and yet he never did shut up about his set of dragon 
Pokemon), shared the type of bond I did with my friends, and I knew 
that was wrong. I knew that the situation would never change... not 
if I didn't do something about it. 
  I possessed the means to carry out my agenda-- the Silph Pokeballs. 
During my journey, I discovered their true power... the balls were 
not designed to hold Pokemon, but PEOPLE! I could only guess why 
Silph would construct them: to use them as weapons, as the 
scientists were trying to do with me. And, inevitably, I realized 
that everything in the mansion WAS designed to be a weapon-- for 
what, I have no idea. One thing was for sure, their weapons turned 
against them. But, this time, their weapons were going to be turned 
on others. 
  With ten Trainerballs (as I dubbed them) in my possession, I 
began formulating a plan to make myself heard by the Pokemon League, 
and all trainers everywhere. The most visible members of the League, 
I decided, were the gym leaders. And, being on Cinnabar Island, there 
was a gym right there. 
  Perhaps it was poetic justice that the gym leader was none other 
than Blaine, one of the surviving scientists of the Pokemon Mansion's 
destruction. 
  He recognized me, of course, as one of the 'experiments' of so 
long ago. He remembered my name... 'Cinder.' Up until this point I 
had no name; I was either a presence or referred to as a wraith, but 
now... now, I had a name, an identity! And, in fact, Blaine was one 
of the members of the 'Cinder project...' for that, I repaid him in 
full by challenging him to battle. My undying torment of being 
reborn in that manner unleashed itself that day. 
  His lackey, Arcanine, was no match for the strength of Kingler. When 
I captured Blaine, I set Arcanine free. 
  And so, I eventually made my way to Fuchsia, and did likewise to 
Koga. I freed his own Pokemon as well, but one of their number, 
Venomoth, wished to join in my crusade, particularly because he knew 
I was on my way to challenge all the gym leaders. He, in particular, 
wished to challenge Sabrina of Saffron City. 
  Then I made my way to Vermilion City. And Saffron City. And now, 
here. 

			*  *  *  *  *

  "I look at you, a gym leader of the Pokemon League," Cinder said, 
"and, for the first time, I question my road." 
  Erika said nothing, her hands running through Tangela's soft 
vines, in thought. 
  "For the longest time," continued the cloaked man, "I never 
believed any of the Pokemon League could be like you. You are quite 
different, little girl." 
  "Why?" asked the gym leader. "You find yourself in me or something?" 
  Cinder chuckled softly. "Perhaps you're more of my ideal trainer." 
  "You know," Erika started, "the whole reason I became a gym leader 
was because I wanted to make a difference... and it's weird, because 
I think I just did it." 
  "Not in the way you hoped," added Cinder, his voice carrying and 
uncharacteristically lighthearted tone. 
  "I've done my share!" the girl said. "All the girls that work here 
share my ideas." 
  "Perhaps," the cloaked man replied. "And yet, my work has yet to 
be done." 
  "You're going to go to the Pokemon League, right?" 
  Cinder nodded. "You're my obstacle from attaining that at the 
moment." 
  "No problem," Erika assured him. "You've already earned my badge 
a while ago." 
  "Other than that, there are three more gyms left to visit." 
  "You're not going to try and kidnap them, too, are you?" 
  The cloaked man sighed heavily. "No, I suppose not...." admitted 
Cinder. "I should be consistent with myself, and if I'm not going to 
appear before the League with all the gym leaders on my belt, then 
it'll be none at all." 
  Erika's eyes widened. "You're letting the others go?" 
  Silently, Cinder nodded, allowing four of his Trainerballs to slide 
down out of his sleeves. The black and yellow striped Pokeballs 
rolled on the grass away from Cinder, toward Erika. 
  "They will all be asleep," Cinder explained. "When they wake, they 
might not know what happened since their capture. Some might not even 
remember being in the Trainerball. It is up to you to take care of 
them." 
  The young gym leader nodded slowly. She reached into the folds of 
her kimono, withdrawing a small, thumbnail-sized circular badge, 
and handed it to Cinder's clawed hand wordlessly. 
  Cinder's red eye blinked for a moment, and the cloaked man rose to 
his feet. He began to turn to leave, but stopped himself. 
  "There is one thing I must do, first," he said. 
  "What's that?" Erika asked, setting Tangela down on the grass to 
stand herself. 
  A muffled snap was heard from beneath the folds of Cinder's robes, 
and Cinder produced a Pokeball in his hand. Slowly, almost 
ceremonially, he extended it out for Erika to take. 
  Accepting the Pokeball, Erika stared at Cinder in surprise. "What 
is it?" 
  Though the darkness of Cinder's cowl hid his features, the gym 
leader almost thought he was smiling. "Dratini," he said simply. "He 
has traveled long and hard, and travel wearies him." 
  "Dratini?" Erika repeated in wonderment. The young dragon Pokemon 
was extremely rare, almost considered mythical, if not for the fact 
that a number of trainers were training some. 
  "He is young," continued Cinder. "And he needs a place to stay. Up 
until now, there hasn't been a place safe enough for him to live, and 
now I've found it." 
  "T...thank you," the girl whispered, opening the Pokeball. 
  Materializing from the Pokeball, a small, snake-like monster 
emerged, diving straight into the pond that so reminded him of his 
birth place. Dratini, the young dragon Pokemon, broke the surface, 
crooning happily. 
  "He likes this place already," offered the cloaked man. 
  "He'll be fine here," agreed Erika. 
  Dratini's eyes focused on Cinder for a moment, then he disappeared 
beneath the surface. 
  "So, where're you going now?" asked Erika. "I'm not sure the 
police would leave you alone even after you gave the gym leaders 
back." 
  Cinder shrugged. "I have no problem with the police," he said. 
"I've beaten them before, and I'm still three steps ahead of them, 
so I don't see any problem with that." He eyed Erika conspiratorially. 
"And I'm hoping you'll keep your discretion when they arrive." 
  "Right," answered Erika, unsure how she would say to the cops. 
  "Other than that," he continued, "I plan on going to Cerulean, 
then Pewter, and down to Viridian... and then, the Pokemon League. 
Hopefully, I'll be able to make my case to them, before the League 
tournament convenes, preferably. But, if I must, I will compete at 
the tournament, and I do hope to see you there when I do." 
  Erika offered a smile. "Hey, I haven't missed out on a tournament 
yet. It's a good chance to chat with old friends, see the newcomers, 
and all that." 
  Cinder nodded. "Well, then, I will take my leave of you." 
  He barely made two steps before the young gym leader stopped him. 
  "Wait," she said. 
  "What is it?" he asked, turning around. 
  Gathering up her courage, Erika asked, "What do you look like, 
under that heavy robe?" Quickly, she added, "Y... you don't have to 
show me... I'm just curious. You can't look that bad...." 
  Again, Erika thought Cinder was smiling. 
  "You really want to see," Cinder said, his metal claws reaching 
for his cowl. "Don't be surprised by what you see." 
  When the cowl was thrown back, Erika did little to contain her 
surprise. "W... wow," she whispered in awe. 
  Quickly replacing the cowl, Cinder laughed softly. "Not exactly 
what you expected? I'm not surprised; anybody else would have been 
scared stiff at the thought of what I was." 
  "You're just as human as the rest of us," Erika assured him. 
"Just don't lose that at the League, and you'll be fine." 
  Nodding wordlessly, Cinder turned to leave. 
  Erika stood there for several moments, wondering how Cinder could 
dampen his flaming-orange aura so well. 

			*  *  *  *  *

  I left the Celadon Gym with mixed feelings. Though my course had 
changed, I wondered if it was for the better. 
  Once again, the stomping changed my course. Only this time, the 
stomp came in a different form. 
  Learning to trust... a human being, after years of trusting only 
Pokemon, was hard. Part of me regretted leaving Dratini in the hands 
of a human, but my more reasonable part knew it was the right choice. 
I'm sure the girl will take good care of him; he deserved a home. 
  What I told her was the truth... to my surprise. I was not used to 
telling my tale; in fact, that was the first time I heard it myself. 
Looking back upon it, maybe I made some bad decisions... some of them 
certainly don't make sense now. The Trainerballs, for instance... that 
idea made sense at the time, but I can't seem to remember why I liked 
the idea in the first place. The League probably would've been less- 
inclined to listen to me if I had hostages.... 
  Six Trainerballs... hopefully, I won't ever have to use them. 
  But now, since I left four of them behind, Silph, Co. will no doubt 
discover they still exist, and might come after me or the girl. They 
may even try to reinvent them, and use them as weapons, as I thought 
they were for. 
  No matter. For the moment, that will keep them busy. If the girl 
is smart-- no, she is-- she will... 'damage' the Trainerballs before 
the police arrive. That alone would set back Silph, Co. for a few 
long weeks... maybe even months, as they try to figure out the 
nature of the Trainerballs. When they finally get around to covering 
it all up, it will be too late. 
  As for me, my course is set. All five of my badges, legitimately 
won in combat, are but the start of my collection. Three more to go, 
and I can take my case to the local Pokemon League. If I appeared 
otherwise they stood a good chance not listening to me, but when I 
become one of their number, they MUST listen. 
  In my travels I have met many Pokemon... I have met many trainers. 
I have seen too much, and too little, of the impact of the League on 
the world. I've met many Pokemon as intelligent as their masters, 
ones who endure trials and pain for the sake of their masters, to 
glorify them. I can't stand by and watch friends such as these fall 
under the cruel sway of trainers. 
  I need to keep my friends close. I need to find more of those 
friends out there, if the girl... Erika, was any indication. 
  I need to keep my enemies even closer. There is nothing worse than 
having the world against you-- it is a long, hard, dangerous road, 
all uphill. Perhaps, one day, I could visit my enemies in person: 
Silph, Co., the Pokemon schools, the Pokemon mini-gangs, and Team 
Rocket (strangely enough, they are outlaws among their own kind). 
They will all pay when my work is finished. 
  Somewhere, the stomping continues. 
  Once again, the wraith disappeares into the shadows of the 
twilight. 
  I will not be denied. 

			*  *  *  *  *


------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes

  Few trainers appear to appreciate their Pokemon as they 
would a friend, or even a pet (but if you watched the cartoon 
then Ash and company have met quite a few people like 
that... to a point, Team Rocket fits in that criteria 
concerning Meowth-- they treat him more like a partner in 
crime rather than their own). This is reflected in Cinder's 
crusade, impossible though it may be to accomplish. And 
then, though he may be one person, that is enough, because 
he knows what he thinks is right, and is willing to follow 
through with it. I am not saying he's right; that is up to 
you, the reader, to decide. 
  Against an Alakazam, Venomoth would, in most cases, be 
toast. In fact, Alakazam is even faster than Venomoth-- so 
how could it be that Venomoth survived the psychic assault? 
Barring the fact that Psywave is a pathetic TM skill (and 
doesn't actually do damage as a psychic skill concerning 
weaknesses), Venomoth had surprise on his side. In game 
terms you can consider this new skill Substitution. 
  Scorpin is a fan-created Pokemon of my own invention. I 
chose an index number that isn't likely to be superceded by 
the new Gold and Silver Pokemon games (though sometimes I 
wonder if I should've chosen a much larger number). 
  Gym leader Pokemon selections are based on Pokemon Yellow 
version and the cartoon. Of course, in Red/Blue Sabrina DID 
use Venomoth, and Koga didn't. 
  Dratini is available in the Pokemon card set for Erika's 
gym (currently only in Japanese; it's the set after the Team 
Rocket set). 
  Feel free to e-mail me if you think you know who Cinder 
is. I gave all the hints in the fic; see if you can find them 
and deduce an answer. Final Hint: Cinder is based off an 
established character. 



---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- 
Basic Pokemon 

Scorpin 
Scorpion Pokemon 
Bug/Ground 
No. 693, Level 7; Evolves at Level 25 (Skullpin) 
Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. 

Skill			Level 
-----			----- 
Scratch		- 
Sand Attack 	- 
Poison Stinger 	8 
* Swords Dance	15 
Twineedle		21 
* Slash 		28 
* Earthquake 	36 
* Guillotine 	48 

It's stinger and pincers are made of stainless steel. 
Wears a strange reptilian helmet of unknown origin. 
--------------------------------- 

---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- 
First Stage Pokemon 

Skullpin 
Scorpion Pokemon 
Bug/Ground 
No. 694, Level 15; Evolves at Level 40 (Bradel) 
Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. 

Skill			Level 
-----			----- 
Scratch		- 
Sand Attack 	- 
Poison Stinger 	- 
* Swords Dance	18 
Twineedle		25 
* Slash 		33 
* Earthquake 	44 
* Guillotine 	52 

It's helmet is said to come from a GYARADOS, 
which is often believed to be its mortal enemy. 
--------------------------------- 

---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- 
Second Stage Pokemon 

Bradel 
Scorpion Pokemon 
Bug/Ground 
No. 695, Level 30; 
Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. 

Skill			Level 
-----			----- 
Scratch		- 
Sand Attack 	- 
Poison Stinger 	- 
* Swords Dance	- 
Twineedle		- 
* Slash 		36 
* Earthquake 	48 
* Guillotine 	56 

Able to slice through even the hardest material as 
if it were paper. Rarely seen due to poaching for its claws. 
--------------------------------- 

Razorclaw X
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/pokemon/index.html

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